Talks Over O’Neal Are Heating Up

Kobe Bryant can leave the Lakers inside of five days and, with the owner having left instructions to retain Bryant and trade Shaquille O’Neal, General Manager Mitch Kupchak was said Thursday to be feeling the urgency of that.

So, in the hours after Bryant entertained three teams, including the Clippers and Lakers, at a hotel near his home, trade talks involving O’Neal, according to one observer, became “more desperate.”

Three weeks have passed since what more than a few Laker employees have come to call “Black Friday.”

On June 18, over six hours, O’Neal went public with his trade demand, Bryant opted out of his contract in order to become a free agent, and Phil Jackson was let go by owner Jerry Buss.

Today, the Lakers and Rudy Tomjanovich remain in negotiations to have Tomjanovich replace Jackson. And, well, that’s about the extent of the rebuilding, so far.

Laker sources said Thursday that lawyers for Tomjanovich and the team were negotiating broad terms of the contract, but were “not a great deal apart” and that a Tomjanovich announcement could come today. Tomjanovich spent the day in Houston, where he barbecued and worked in his garden while his lawyer labored to complete the deal.

Meanwhile, Kupchak is sensing the end of the free-agency period, the organization fearing Bryant will not re-sign if O’Neal is on the roster come Wednesday, the first day free agents can sign new contracts.

As of Thursday night, NBA sources said, the Dallas Mavericks, Indiana Pacers and Miami Heat were making the strongest pushes to acquire O’Neal. The Mavericks’ Dirk Nowitzki, the Pacers’ Jermaine O’Neal and Heat’s Dwyane Wade were not part of any offers, insiders said, and it is possible the first team to come off its untouchable player gets Shaq.

Still, said one Laker official, “There are opportunities for us.”

In trade discussions the Lakers are sticking mainly to O’Neal’s list of preferred destinations -- Sacramento, Dallas, New Orleans, Miami and Orlando among them -- but have considered offers from other teams, including the Pacers. O’Neal has promised to refuse a contract extension and opt out of his contract in a year if he is traded to a non-specified team, and Kupchak would prefer to trade O’Neal to the Eastern Conference, where he’d play against him only twice a year.

In Orlando, where the Heat is preparing for summer-league play, President Pat Riley confirmed talking to Kupchak about O’Neal. Not long ago, Riley was in Los Angeles, where he was considering returning to the Lakers as their coach.

“I mean Tracy McGrady got traded, he was on the market,” Riley told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. “I’ve heard three or four other great-name players that are on the market, Shaq being one of ‘em. You’ve got to pursue ‘em. You’re foolish if you don’t try to pursue ‘em and at least listen. Nothing’s happened. Everything right now is so premature.”

Buss decided months ago that O’Neal should be traded, apparently about the time he decided Jackson would not return, and recently affirmed those orders.

The judgments appear to have been made in midseason, about the time Buss spent Super Bowl Sunday at Bryant’s Newport Beach home. On that afternoon, the Lakers were winning a game in Toronto and Bryant was recovering from a lacerated right index finger he said was injured while moving boxes in his garage.

A Sports Illustrated story this week reports Bryant’s agent, Rob Pelinka, initiated contact with Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski after Game 2 of the NBA Finals, the agent apparently uninspired by the lone Laker victory in the series. A day before, Bryant said publicly he’d look forward to meeting with Knick President Isiah Thomas during free agency.

Kupchak has said he has consulted with select players, Bryant presumably chief among them, during a coaching search that, along with Tomjanovich, went through Riley, Roy Williams and Krzyzewski.

Bryant met through the day Wednesday with the Clippers, Lakers and Knicks, NBA team officials for hours padding through the lobby of the Four Seasons hotel in Newport Beach.

Over a single evening, according to sources, Bryant received Clipper vice presidents Andy Roeser and Elgin Baylor and Coach Mike Dunleavy, Madison Square Garden President James Dolan and presidents Steve Mills and Thomas, and Kupchak and Laker Assistant General Manager Ronnie Lester. Magic Johnson, part-owner of the Lakers, also was in the area, but it is unclear whether he participated in the meeting.

Bryant also met earlier in the week with Denver Nugget owner Stan Kroenke and General Manager Kiki Vandeweghe. The San Antonio Spurs, once believed to be a player for Bryant, apparently will concentrate instead on re-signing Manu Ginobili and did not visit with Bryant.

The Lakers and Clippers appear to be the front-runners for Bryant. In fact, sources said Thursday night that Bryant had eliminated the Nuggets and Knicks and that he would choose this weekend between the Lakers and Clippers. A Knick official said Thursday the organization had no further meetings scheduled with Bryant.

Bryant could sign a new contract as early as Wednesday, though it is unknown what effect the apparent hire of Tomjanovich and the team’s inability to move O’Neal will have.

Discussions with Tomjanovich undoubtedly have been affected by reports that Krzyzewski was offered $40 million over five years. Tomjanovich was earning $6 million annually when he resigned from the Houston Rockets more a year ago to focus on recovering from cancer.

Sources from both sides continued to express optimism that a deal would be struck, and that the duration of negotiations -- Kupchak began talks with Tomjanovich shortly after Krzyzewski turned down the job Monday -- were not a sign of an impasse.

Tomjanovich has attempted to reach Bryant and O’Neal, but apparently has spoken to neither.

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The Pieces to the Puzzle

With the beginning of free-agent signings looming on Wednesday, the Lakers are faced with making deals in regard to three key figures:

Dealing Shaq: With the departure of Shaquille O’Neal, above, seen as a key to retaining free agent Kobe Bryant, General Manager Mitch Kupchak is hard at work to make a trade. But in a buyer’s market for the leading candidates, Indiana won’t give up Jermaine O’Neal, Dallas won’t give up Dirk Nowitzki and Miami won’t give up Dwyane Wade. At least for now ...

Getting a coach: Negotiations continue with Rudy Tomjanovich, above, to replace Phil Jackson as coach. The Lakers’ recent offer of the job to Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski for $40 million over five years probably proved food for thought.

Signing up Kobe: Bryant, above, has apparently narrowed his choice of teams to the Lakers and Clippers, and could make his pick as early as this weekend.